If you haven’t read it and you’re looking at that “25” number…buy all 25 volumes now. It’s totally worth it. You’ll want to have them rather than starting with one or two and waiting for the rest to arrive.

If you have read it, rejoice: here is another blissfully wonderful volume of Kaze Hikaru. This volume picks up where 24 left off with Hijikata’s flashback to his youth and meeting Kondo. It’s fitting that this volume was released on 8/1 aka “Yaoi Day” because volume 25 gave us some really smirk-worthy but so sweet Hijikata/Kondo panels. (We’ve seen how flustered Hijikata gets when people stay stuff like this, though, so please don’t tell him I said he and Kondo are adorable together.) Later in the volume we have some financial shenanigans in the Shinsengumi and as usual, Sei is a bit too naive and straightforward. But that’s what makes her lovable, right? Just ask Soji… heh. (And Saito, wherever he’s presently lurking…)

I have been reading this manga for a long time and I attempted to learn Japanese JUST to read this manga because it’s only published ONE VOLUME PER YEAR in English. I had to laugh at the author’s note in the back of the volume, specifically: “After all, the story is gradually reaching a climax, so perhaps it’ll be ending by around volume 28..? Then again, I also have the feeling that this series is nowhere near its end (haha)!”

“Haha” indeed. Volume 40 was released in Japan in late May of this year. So at one [English] volume per year…I might spend the rest of my life reading Kaze Hikaru.